


His New Muse

by liminal_mess



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Artist!Magnus, M/M, Student!Alec, mention of Catarina Loss - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liminal_mess/pseuds/liminal_mess
Summary: Magnus is a famous artist who hasn't been able to paint for a month, until Alec walks in the door of his favorite coffeeshop. Alec is a huge fan who's unaware that he has become the featured piece of art at Magnus' next show until he gets there. The rest you can probably figure out.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 26
Kudos: 226





	His New Muse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bidness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bidness/gifts).



> Hiii Tilly, I know you said no to gifts but oops my hand slipped. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONCE AGAIN, ILY. This might be garbage because I wrote it when I had a break between work and class but its written with love so that counts for something?? Also I realized after the fact that it starts the same as your bang fic lmaoo, so I guess you kind of unintentionally inspired me. Lastly, I would just like to add that ALEC GOT PERCEIVED.
> 
> This fic is based on a prompt from the @au_idea_bot account that was put in the #MakeitMalec tag on twitter. I'm @liminal_mess on there if u have words for me there. The title of Magnus' exhibit is from a Richard Siken's poem, Scheherazade.

Magnus Bane walks into his favorite coffee shop, sketch book clutched in his hand and a determined look on his face. He hasn’t been able to work on his art in the last month and he’s almost at his wit’s end.

But today he’s feeling stubborn and ready to fight his brain, the world and anyone who gets in his way. He orders his favorite latte and sits down at his usual table to get to work. Magnus wouldn’t usually push himself so hard when it comes to creativity, but he has a gallery show in a month and there is just one more piece he needs to complete to finish his portrait series. 

_C’mon, Magnus,_ he thinks. And then, after staring at his sketchbook for a good 10 minutes: _Hello, anyone up there? Help?_

Some generous god may have actually heard his prayer because the most _gorgeous_ man he has ever seen walks into the coffee shop, just as he is about to rip the first sad attempt out of the book in frustration. He has beautiful hazel eyes, delicate features and ridiculously long legs. Magnus knows he’s staring but he doesn’t even care, because all he can think is _hello, who are you? And where have you been my whole life?_

The man doesn’t seem to notice, making a beeline straight to the counter. His hair looks tousled like he just woke up and a slight scowl is on his face so Magnus guesses that he’s in that _need coffee now_ morning zone. Magnus can sympathize so he decides to not subject the man to his flirting this early. He’s incredibly tempted though.

Instead, as the man sits down with his laptop, a few tables down at the other end of the shop, facing towards Magnus thankfully _,_ he starts to draw. The light streaming in from the window makes him look even more breathtaking and it’s like the floodgates have opened because Magnus finishes two detailed sketches of him in the next hour, hand moving faster than his brain can. 

A painting starts to form in his mind while he’s staring down at the sketches with a satisfied smile on his face. He practically jumps up from his seat in his hurry to get home, as the ideas start flowing. Part of him wants to thank the man, who’s still typing furiously at his laptop with his headphones in, oblivious to the world. But he doesn’t know if he trusts himself to just keep it to a thank you, so instead, he goes up to the counter. He asks Maia if she can bring over another coffee and a chocolate croissant to the man. 

“That’s Alec, he’s usually here late at night but he was saying that one of his morning classes got canceled today and he has paper due. Like what you see?” Maia says, smirking at him as she types the items into the register and takes his card. 

Magnus tucks the name _Alec_ away for later. “I mean, have you seen him? And also, I think he’s my new muse, so I owe him. I would go over there myself cause you know, I’m always ready to shoot my shot. But, sadly, the passion that puts food on my table must come first,” Magnus replies, sighing dramatically. 

“Also, give him this note that says it’s from an anonymous admirer,” he adds, voice dropping to a whisper, which makes Maia giggle. 

“Uh huh, sure thing, Mr. Casanova,” she replies, shaking her head and taking small piece of paper he’s handing her. 

He waves to Maia as he heads for the door. However, he can’t help but glance back briefly before he leaves, just for another look. His new muse is aggressively hitting what could only be the backspace button on his laptop, a frown on his face. 

It’s fucking adorable and he send a prayer to whoever was listening to him earlier that this doesn’t become a missed opportunity.

 _I'll make sure of it,_ he thinks to himself as he walks to his car.

  
  
  


Alec glances at the bulletin board on his way into the Hunter’s Moon, like he usually does. It’s a good place to find random jobs around town that he can do on his student schedule and to find out about local events going on. 

He sees a flyer that makes him pause. 

**These, Our Bodies Possessed by Light**

A Portrait Series by Magnus Bane

At the Idris Gallery, Brooklyn

Friday May 8th, 8pm

_Holy shit._ He grins and pulls out his phone to send a photo of the flyer to Izzy.

Magnus Bane has been his favorite artist for a couple years now, ever since he saw some of his pieces online. They have this electric energy that’s hard to look away from and he could get lost just noticing all the details in each painting. Not to mention all the brilliant colors. He’s never been able to catch a gallery show though, so he’s buzzing with excitement at the thought that he’ll actually get to see the man’s art _in person._

He shoots a text of the photo to Izzy who immediately responds with “DUDE!! We HAVE to go!” 

When Friday night rolls around, he meets Izzy at the train station and they head there together, talking back and forth the whole time about Magnus’ other pieces and guessing at what the newest ones will be like.

The gallery is a short walk from the station and in a pretty modern building with twinkling lights and a bold sign that says “Idris Gallery”. They’re a little late so the place has started to fill up already but they start at the end that’s more quiet.

He feels Izzy pull at his sleeve as he’s admiring the first portrait, which features a young Black woman caught mid-laugh. She’s standing on a dock in front of a lake, the light from the setting sun rendering her face breathtakingly soft. The title is “Catarina at Sunset” 

“Alec, oh my god, is that you?” she says, voice rising to a screech. 

“Huh?” he says, looking up with a startle at where she’s staring. 

What she’s looking at is the largest portrait at the other end of the room, which they had missed because of all the people gathering around it when they came in. His line of vision is clear now and the man staring back does look strikingly like him. Except, much much better. The way that Magnus has painted the early morning light streaming in through the windows of the coffee shop makes him look ethereal.

Alec’s mouth goes dry as he stares, mouth open in shock. 

“It can’t be right?” he says, looking over at Izzy with a panicked look in his eyes, “I’ve never even met Magnus, how the hell would he have painted me? And _why?_ ” 

Alec sees someone coming towards them from the corner of his eyes and looks over to see possibly the most well dressed person _ever._

The man is wearing a purple tunic with shiny gold embellishments and gold eyeshadow to match. Two short and a long necklace adorn his neck and he’s wearing rings on his fingers that catch the light.

The look on his face is tinged with embarrassment but leaning more towards amusement. 

“Alexander, right? Hi, I’m Magnus Bane.”

Alec feels almost lightheaded, trying without success to say something, anything. He has enough awareness to snap his mouth closed at least. 

Izzy elbows him and says, “Nice to meet you, Magnus. I’m Izzy. Sorry, you’ll have to excuse my brother, he’s a huge fan. That painting, that’s him, right?” she asks, excitedly. Alec glares at her, about to protest when Magnus smiles at her and nods. 

“Yes, I saw him at the Hunter’s Moon and decided to make him part of my series,” Magnus answers, his expression landing fully on amusement now.

He shifts his gaze to Alec. “Maia told me your name, " he adds, as an explanation, "I meant to tell you the next time I saw you because I was in too much of a rush to go home and paint that day. And then I got horribly busy with preparing for all this and haven't been back in weeks,” he adds, sweeping his hand at the room. "I did leave you a note though."

"That was you?" He asks, incredulously, remembering that confusing note that he had been trying to figure out for a week before giving up. Maia had just smiled mysteriously and said something about how all would be revealed soon enough, when he had tried to get the information out of her.

"Yes, I would apologize for the dramatics, but can't be sorry for who I am." 

"No, it’s… I’m honored? The painting is amazing and you made me look way better than I actually do,” Alec replies with a shaky laugh, gathering himself enough get whole sentences out. 

“I drew what I saw. You’re beautiful,” Magnus says, completely unabashedly, looking at him intently like he needs Alec to believe it. 

He can _feel_ Izzy’s grin without even looking at her. “I’m gonna go appreciate the rest of the art and give you two a moment,” he hears her say, before walking away. 

Alec feels at a loss for words again, but he keeps Magnus’ gaze because he can’t seem to draw his eyes away. He licks his lips purely out of nervousness and Magnus’ eyes flick down, before flicking back up. The air feels electric between them and it's as if they're not in a crowded room anymore. It finally becomes too much for Alec, so he looks away, sure that his face must be bright red by now.

“Thank you,” he mumbles, looking at the ground for a second to catch his breath.

“Can I take you to dinner after this? As a thank you and a “sorry I creepily painted you and made you the star of my art show without telling you?” Magnus asks, his expression back to amused again.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Alec answers, his grin the brightest thing among all the light. 


End file.
